Bicycle Diaries by David Byrne

From The Week of September 05, 2011

Since the Industrial Revolution, the human population has expanded so rapidly that, today, more than six times as many humans are alive as were alive 100 years ago. Even more frightening are estimates for future growth which generally put the population's peak at nine billion by the middle of the 21st century. For the planet to carry such a bloated population, humans will have to urbanize even more than they already have which strongly suggests that urban planning will be a critical field of study in the decades to come.

One obvious solution for how nine billion souls will transport themselves in what is likely to be a peak or post oil world is the bicycle, that most sturdy and lightweight of wheeled machines which requires only the pumping of human legs to power it. But what might it be like to use a bicycle on a daily basis? And which are the best machines to use? Which cities sport the best layouts? And what might one see and experience when one is not traveling at 60 miles per hour? These are just some of the questions I'd hoped Bicycle Diaries might answer. Unfortunately, it is far more of a paean to its author's apparent fame, and a canvas for his artistic adventures, than it is a thoughtful discussion on the bicycle and its benefits and challenges.

From New York to Los Angeles, from Berlin to Hong Kong, Mr. Byrne, a musician and avid cyclist, travels the world on two wheels. Distilling decades of cycling down into 300 slim pages, he describes his journeys through the vastness of the American south, the hyper-urban buzz of the American northeast, the cyclist-friendly sanity of northern Europe and the lively chaos of South America, all while painting vivid, if fleeting, portraits of the cultures through which he pedals. The result is a whirlwind tour of the world's major cities, in all its glories and its warts, as seen through the eyes of a cyclist.

Bicycle Diaries is a glorified travel log. Mr. Byrne has a keen eye for cultural distinctiveness, convincingly describing the societal faultlines that run through our world. Unfortunately, this talent, along with a flair for a good turn of phrase, cannot save this mishmash of social commentary and bicycle philosophizing. Mr. Byrne spends twice as much time here reconstructing musical gigs and picking over his fascination with high art than he does on his actual bicycle which goes without a single mention in his main narrative. In fact, some of his city tours don't seem to involve a bicycle at all which makes me wonder if they were included only for contrast. I went in hoping to find descriptions of urban environments enmeshed with entertaining, two-wheeled adventures. I came out unenlightened by a few half-assed stories chased with some interesting cultural observations.

Engaging at times, but far too self-focused to be of interest to anyone who is not already a fan of the author. I wanted to be captured by the union of the wind, the machine and human ingenuity. Instead? Navel-gazing of an unsatisfying sort. (2/5 Stars)